Dr. Monica Marcu is noted worldwide for her expertise on Moringa, as she has decades of experience in studying a variety of plants. Her study and research of Moringa is incorporated in her book Miracle Tree, a long-time favorite of Zija Independent Distributors. As a member of the Zija Product Advisory Council, she will be sharing her expertise and findings on Moringa. Below she shares her experience at the First International Symposium on Moringa in Manila, Philippines.
I recently had the pleasure to attend the First International Symposium on Moringa, and what a meeting it was! “Moringa: A Decade of Advances in Research and Development” was held in Manila, Philippines, from November 19-22, 2015. Researchers, businesses and industry groups, farmers, consumers and other interested Moringa lovers from 49 countries were registered for this event. The main goals of this meeting were to bring together almost 300 scientists from the international community for a four-day event, and have them share new data and their knowledge and wisdom on Moringa. Various topics of great interest were covered at the meeting, which was indeed very well organized and a most pleasant event - definitely one of the best scientific meetings I have ever attended. Over 130 papers were presented in three concurrent technical sessions. The program included invited speakers, poster sessions and presentations, interactive discussions, and a field trip to a local Moringa farm. I had the opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones, all of us driven by the same passion for the wonderful tree that blesses so many lives. The symposium encouraged education on Moringa (still lagging behind in all countries), sustainable production improvement, market access, consumption for nutritional and health value, industry profitability and others.
Some of the main topics covered were: botany and germplasm, ethnobotany, harvesting, nutrition and health, medicinal properties including clinical studies on Moringa, uses in livestock and aquaculture feed industry, Moringa as an alternative energy source (biofuel), water treatment and clarification, Moringa in the cosmetics industry, in food security and poverty alleviation, in climate change, organic Moringa production, etc.
The successful symposium was organized and supported by organizations such as the International Society for Horticultural Science, the Asian Vegetable Center, Central Philippine University and Moringaling Philippines Foundation Inc. Some of the international pioneers and champions on Moringa education and research were also recognized at the meeting: Drs. Farooq Anwar, Armelle de Saint Sauveur, Andreas Ebert, Nikolaus Foidl, and Manuel Palada, among them. I was also honored to receive this recognition as one of the 12 Moringa champions around the world. But my greatest joy was to be able to discuss and shake hands with these wonderful people, to learn from them and share my experience on the miracle tree.
From the news presented at the symposium I would share with you a few:
- Data from the World Vegetable Center’s Nutrition Lab shows that Moringa, a nutrient dense plant, exceeds the micronutrient content of tomato by a factor of 9 to 38! A number of important nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, folates and others are found in Moringa in significantly larger amounts compared to the widespread and beloved tomato.
- Around the world, more and more this highly nutritious tree is used in various foods to fortify them: Moringa is now added to pasta, breads, juices, milk and teas. I had the wonderful surprise to taste Moringa chocolate, and I can tell you it was delicious! Deliciously simple and organic - only three main ingredients: Moringa leaf powder, coco butter and cane sugar.
Only in the Philippines, more than 20 different companies use Moringa for a variety of products, from cosmetics to beverages and farm supplies. Overall, the opportunities of Moringa-based products around the world seem very promising. If only the production and supply of Moringa could keep pace with the demand!
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